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Chilean slum fire destroys 100 homes, leaves 400 homeless

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 A fire in a poor neighbourhood in Chile’s northern Antofagasta region on Monday destroyed at least 100 homes, injured eight people and left some 400 without a roof over their heads.

According to a preliminary police report, the blaze was reported about 4:30 p.m. in the so-called Frei Bonn shantytown and all local fire companies and vehicles were dispatched to the site, Efe reported

The volunteer firefighters were reinforced with a water cannon truck belonging to the Carabineros, Chile’s military police, whose personnel deployed throughout the zone to ensure that nobody was trapped in the burning and threatened houses.

Police reported that at least 700 local residents were evacuated.

Daniel Augusto, the mayor of the city of Calama, 1,564 km north of Santiago, said that the fire had destroyed more than 65 percent of the shantytown.

The Governor of the town of El Loa, Maria Bernarda Jopia, said that about 750 people – most of them foreigners – live in the shantytown, adding that one of the men taken to the Antofagasta Hospital had burns over 30 percent of his body.

Local authorities set up a shelter in an elementary school to temporarily house the people who lost their homes.

(IANS)

Can the trapped Paris Climate Agreement be rescued? By Rajendra Shende

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Two months ago, all 12 boys and the coach of a Thai football team were rescued after being trapped in a cave in northern Thailand for 18 days. Many termed their rescue against heavy odds a miracle.

Sadly, the six-day United Nations Special Climate Conference that concluded on September 9 was not able to rescue the trapped Paris Climate Agreement in the well-lit conference centre in southern Thailand. Many of the delegates wondered if it was about pronouncing the promises only to dodge them.

The Paris Climate Agreement has been hanging from a cliff right from the day US President Donald Trump, a year back, announced his official plan to withdraw from it. Though hundreds of American mayors and thousands of businesses — and even its allies like France — have been seeking to defy the consequences of Trump’s withdrawal, the agreement is getting dangerously close to its fatal consequence.

The good news is that the Paris Agreement has entered into force on November 4, 2016, in less than a year from its consensus adoption on December 12, 2015, in Paris. However, it is yet to be operationalised because its modalities, procedures and guidelines are yet to be agreed upon by its 180 Parties (countries that ratified the Paris Agreement). Indeed, the Paris Agreement in its present form is just an agreement of intent.

These “rules”, as per the time-table agreed in Paris, have to be ready no later than 2018. The Bangkok Climate Conference was a late addition to the schedule after dismal progress was made at the annual meeting of the subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC) in Bonn in May 2018. The Bangkok Climate Conference was the last major negotiating meeting before the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP-24) in Poland in December, when finally the Paris Agreement will be in mission mode.

The exercise in Bangkok turned out to be progress in planning but a stalemate in its objective of operationalising. The Paris Agreement remains trapped in a complex maze of the caves of finance for mitigation and adaptation for the developing countries, deployment of market mechanisms, periodicity of stocktaking and transparency, flexibility for developing countries in reporting.

Formulating the rules on the cyclic and iterative nature by enhancing the nationally determined contributions (NDCs), earlier considered an innovation in international agreements, is now proving to be formidable.

It all boils down to the fact that world is now setting the new norms of not keeping the promises made on global cooperation. Not walking the talk and smartly gyrating the agreed goals is now the global attire of the diplomacy. And each of these new patterns are being justified, sometimes diplomatically and, many times with international arrogance.

Take, for example, financing for mitigation and adaptation for the developing countries. The “polluter to pay” norm has been the anchor in the multilateral environment agreements right from the 1992 Rio Agreement, but is now being openly flouted. The promise of providing “additional” finance through the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which was first proposed by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then President Barack Obama in Copenhagen in 2009, is supposed to become fully operational in 2020, i.e. developed countries would provide — starting with $10 billion per year in 2012 to reach $100 billion per year from 2020 onwards — to help developing countries pay for climate adaptation and mitigation.

What has happened to that promise? As of today, GCF has pledges of $10.4 billion whereas the actually committed is only $3.5 billion. The GCF as institution itself is in chaotic state. The GCF head, an Australian, abruptly resigned in July 2018 after just two years in the job because of “personal reasons”. The deputy head from Nicaragua did not even attend the July meeting of GCF, where no projects were approved. “GCF is melting down faster than Antarctica,” one of the delegates in Bangkok said.

In Bangkok, the developed countries smartly proposed to count all the finances provided by the private sector, philanthropy, FDI and regular international development aid of 0.7 per cent of the GDP as part of the promised $100 billion. They also proposed dilution of the financial reporting rules, thereby flouting the agreement on “additional climate financing”.

Not walking the full talk by the star performers on climate change has also resulted in the angry reaction from civil society, and supported by countries, on such climate-hypocrisy.

An example is the Global Climate Action Summit convened from September 12 to 14, 2018, in San Francisco, under the leadership of California Governor Jerry Brown. The summit’s theme is “Take Ambition to the Next Level”. It will be a star-studded international event to showcase climate action at all levels and to inspire enhanced commitments and god-speed action from countries to realise the goals of the Paris Agreement. Indeed, California, the richest US state, has done more in policy setting and its implementation in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency than any other country in the world. Its firebrand governor can be termed as climate’s game-changer.

In Bangkok, Brown was booed by civil society representatives for his soft approach towards oil producers in California by allowing them to drill for oil. “How can we expect a leader to take climate ambitions to the next level when he himself, from the back-door, takes it to a lower level,” queried one demonstrator in Bangkok.

When state leaders arrive in Poland in December, they would have to muddle through the mess of the draft “rule book” mired in diminishing trust. By that time, the GHGs concentration, already higher by 42 percent as compared to 1992 levels, would have risen to the “next level”.

A rescue operation for the trapped Paris Agreement would be near impossible.

[IANS]

A riveting tale of an extraordinary Indian By M.R. Narayan Swamy

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It will be an understatement to say this is a gripping book, sympathetic yet critical. With his passion for meticulous research, Philip Goldberg has authored what is undoubtedly one of the most stirring and brilliant accounts of a spiritual master, Paramhansa Yogananda, delving in particular into his life in the US that have largely remained shrouded in mystery. The result is this profound biography.

Goldberg makes it clear that he is not a disciple of Yogananda, which makes the book all the more enriching. Yogananda (born Mukund Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur) achieved global fame with his 1946 masterpiece “Autobiography of a Yogi”. That seminal book is the reason why he still casts a spell, although he passed away decades ago. A professional writer for more than 40 years, Goldberg decided to essay Yogananda’s life because although the yoga guru spent almost all his adult years in America, less than 10 per cent of the “Autobiography…” is about that immensely productive and historically significant period.

Goldberg’s wide-ranging research led him to conclude that Yogananda, his quirks and idiosyncrasies notwithstanding, was an extraordinary human being, a spiritual prodigy, psychically gifted with exceptional inner powers and without doubt a self-realised yogic master. From a young age, he stalked God the way “Sherlock Holmes stalked criminals”.

But for one who moved to the US in 1920 unsure of his English, life wasn’t easy.

With his ochre robes and long hair, his mere appearance could invite ridicule, torment and even abuse. He endured sneers, glares, name-calling and even stone-throwing, but maintained his dignity. Worse, there were times when Yogananda and his close group didn’t have enough to buy food, so they would simply fast for a few days, says Goldberg, uncovering details never known before. Building the network he eventually did in the US was no joke because it was a time of coin-operated phone booths, long-distance operators, telegrams and letter writing. But Yogananda did it.

Only a handful of people came to his earlier “satsangs”. The numbers grew slowly, through word of mouth, as Yogananda began wandering across the length and breadth of America — much like Adi Shankara did in India centuries earlier. He went everywhere he could: Miami, Seattle, Oregon, Los Angeles, New York, Cleveland, Colorado, Boston, Utah.

Yogananda’s very name played a role in popularising yoga, then an unknown subject in the West. As he toured America, every time his name was mentioned or appeared in print, “yoga” became further legitimised in public mind. For someone who was reticent about public speaking at first, he became quite a performer. No wonder, his gatherings — where he spoke about God, yoga, meditation, the oneness of humankind — began to attract as many as 5,000 to 6,000 people. There were occasions when visitors had to be turned away because the venues were overflowing. A time came when The Los Angeles Times would call him “the 20th century’s first superstar guru”.

How did Yogananda succeed? Although his ingredients always contained elements from Hinduism, including karma, dharma, reincarnation, mantras, chakras and core principles of Vedanta, the combination of scientific rationality and respect for the Judeo-Christian tradition would become hallmarks of Yogananda’s teaching. Yogananda, says Goldberg, took the veneration of Christ a step further, producing a massive volume of written and spoken commentary on Jesus and his teachings. This triggered problems too. He was accused of selling out to attract Christian followers and also of “Chritistianising” Hinduism. His introduction of kirtan to America has been largely under-appreciated, the author says.

Once Yogananda attained VIP status, he was welcomed to the White House by President Calvin Coolidge (1923-29). Indeed, he had genuine love for America. He said the US was the most spiritual country, next only to his own India. He also met Mexican President Emilio Candido Portes Gil. What is noteworthy is that Yogananda makes no mention of these personal achievements in his “Autobiography…”, which is more about saints he met in his quest for God and less about himself.

But a time came when Yogananda had to face the worst of America: Media sensationalism, religious bigotry, ethnic stereotyping, sexual allegations and brazen racism. Life became difficult during the World War years as it affected revenue from class fees, books and magazine sales. Donations plunged. Worse, people he though were his soul mates suddenly ditched him and took him to court, causing him immense pain. On one occasion, he begged the Divine Mother: “Free me. Let me go back to India to serve you there.” It was not to happen.

Yogananda kept saying that he was using business in religion and not making a business of religion — as evidenced by the fact that no one was profiting financially from his work. When he returned to the US after a brief visit to India in the 1930s, he was detained for four days by US authorities for some obscure technical reason. But nothing derailed the “serious man with a serious and singular mission, a determined, disciplined, demanding dynamo who slept only three or four hours a night”. But Yogananda was fun-loving too. He loved popular comic strips like “Blondie” and “Bringing Up Father”. He loved to fly kites. And as a cook, he was a perfectionist.

Goldberg is clear that allegations of sexual derailment hurled at him have no basis. “Had I found verifiable evidence that Yogananda had sexual affairs or exploited female disciples, I would not have hesitated to report it. But I did not… My research did not uncover any credible evidence that Yogananda ever broke his vow of celibacy… No woman ever claimed to have had sexual relations with Yogananda — not even in posthumous letters, diaries or memoirs.”

In 1946, Yogananda took advantage of a change in immigration laws and applied for citizenship. His application was approved in 1949 and he became a naturalised US citizen. It was the year he took a train to San Francisco to meet Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. And when he died, Yogananda was speaking about India.

According to Goldberg, Yogananda’s crowning achievement, and the most enduring monument to his earthly expedition, was the “Autobiography of a Yogi”. It has sold millions of copies and continues to be a best-seller. But in 1946, publisher after publisher rejected it — until the Philosophical Library went for it. That book, along with Yogananda’s other writings, has had a religious and spiritual impact that “is unique and unassailable”. As Goldberg says, no single person contributed more to East-West current than Yoganand

[IANS]

WhatsApp now available on Reliance Jio Phone

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New Delhi Facebook-owned WhatsApp on Monday announced it is now available on Reliance JioPhones across India.

WhatsApp has built a new version of its private messaging app for JioPhone, running on KaiOS operating system.

“Millions of people across India can now use WhatsApp private messaging on the best-in-class JioPhone across India,” said Chris Daniels, Vice President, WhatsApp, in a statement.

The new app makes it easy to record and send voice messages with just couple of taps on the keypad.

To get started, JioPhone users only need to verify their phone number and then they can begin chatting with other WhatsApp users, one-on-one or in groups.

“We will be providing WhatsApp, the most used chat application in the world, on all JioPhones starting today (Monday). Jio wants to thank the Facebook and WhatsApp team for making this happen,” said Akash Ambani, Director, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd.

WhatsApp is available in the JioPhone AppStore starting September 10 and will be rolled out on all JioPhones by September 20, the company said.

People can download WhatsApp on both JioPhone and JioPhone 2 by visiting the AppStore.

(IANS)

2 militants killed in J&K gunfight

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Srinagar Two militants were killed on Tuesday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said.

Upon receiving a tip-off about the holed-up militants, the security forces cordoned off the Galoora village.

“As the cordon was tightened, the militants fired at the security forces triggering the ongoing gunfight,” police sources said.

The slain militants were identified as Furqan, resident of Langate and Liyaqat from Sopore.

“Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the victims,” the police added.

(IANS)

Nadal stays atop ATP rankings, Djokovic jumps to 3rd

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Madrid With 8,760 points, Spain’s Rafael Nadal remained in the No.1 spot in the Association of Tennis Professionals’ (ATP) men’s world singles rankings released on Monday, ahead of Switzerland’s Roger Federer.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic jumped three spots to third after he captured his third US Open title and 14th overall grand slam with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory over Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, who fell to fourth spot, reports Efe news.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev came in fifth, ahead of Croatia’s Marin Cilic and Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, sixth and seventh respectively.

Kevin Anderson of South Africa fell four spots to ninth in the rankings after he lost 7-5, 6-2, 7-6(2) to eighth-placed Dominic Thiem of Austria in the US Open round of 16.

(IANS)

Halep stays No. 1 in world tennis rankings Osaka enters top 10

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Madrid Romania’s Simona Halep continued to lead Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings released on Monday, ahead of Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki.

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka rocketed 12 spots to the seventh after claiming the US Open title on Saturday, defeating Serena Williams of the US 6-2, 6-4 in the women’s final of the season’s last Grand Slam tournament, reports Efe news.

Osaka’s victory also made her the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam title, leaving her with a record of two wins and no losses against the world’s top female tennis player, as she had previously beat Williams in the first round of the last Masters 1000 in Miami.

US Sloane Stephens dropped six positions down to the ninth after being eliminated by Latvian Anastasija Sevastova at the US Open quarterfinal.

Further down the rankings, Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic jumped 32 places to world No. 71 having competed in the US until the round of 16, in which she was knocked out by Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.

(IANS)

Great films on India being made only by foreigners: Anupam Kher

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Toronto Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher wonders why great films on India are being made only by foreigners.

In Toronto for the premiere of Australian director Anthony Maras’ debut feature film “Hotel Mumbai” based on the September 2008 terror attacks, Kher said: “This is fascinating that the film ‘Gandhi’ was also made by a foreigner. Now this (‘Hotel Mumbai’) film has also been made by a foreigner. Thank you, Anthony, for making this movie. This film is a tribute to everybody who has lost a dear one anywhere in the world.”

Without naming the person, Kher said: “Somebody had made a film on it (Mumbai terror attacks), but it was atrocious. That person wanted to cash in on the tragedy.”

But Anthony’s “Hotel Mumbai” “humanises'” the tragedy that Mumbai went through 10 years ago, the actor added.

“The Taj Palace Hotel is not just another hotel. It is an icon and its owner — the Tatas — are a respectable name not just in India but also around the world,” he said.

At the press conference, Kher revealed that “Hotel Mumbai” is the 501st film of his career.

As he was congratulated by the cast, the veteran actor said even his mother asked him for the first time as to how he did so many films.

“‘Hotel Mumbai’ is my 501st film. My mother, who is 85, asked me ‘How did I do it?'” said Kher.

The movie premiered at the on-going Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.

(IANS)

Global cues subdue equity indices

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Mumbai, Broadly negative global cues subdued the key Indian equity indices during the morning traded session on Tuesday.

According to analysts, heavy selling pressure was witnessed in the FMCG, consumer durable and metal stocks

At 9.45 a.m., the wider Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange, traded at 11,451.75 points, higher by just 13.65 points or 0.12 per cent from its previous close.

The S&P BSE Sensex, which had opened at 38,017.49 points, traded at 37,956.77 points, up by only 34.60 points or 0.09 per cent than the previous close of 37,922.17 points.

So far, it has touched an intra-day high of 38,043.27 points and a low of 37,848.64 points.

(IANS)

Aren’t generating enough awareness about mental illness: Mahesh Bhatt

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Mumbai  Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming film “The Dark Side of Life: Mumbai City” said that we are lacking in generating awareness about mental illness in our country.

Mahesh Bhatt was interacting with media at the trailer launch of “The Dark Side of Life: Mumbai City” along with his co-actors Nikhil Ratnaparakhi, Allisha Khan, director Tariq Khan and producer Rajesh Pardasani on Monday in Mumbai.

The film addresses many sensitive issues like loneliness, communal harmony and mental health that exist in our society.

Talking about growing cases of suicides in the society, Bhatt said, “It’s a form of mental illness and it can be treated. When you suffer with diabetes then, you have to take insulin shots.

“Similarly, when you are prone towards depression then you need to consult a doctor who can treat you through medication but, I think in our country, we are lacking in generating awareness about mental illness. Almost in every household people are suffering from depression.”

Citing the example of his own daughter Shaheen Bhatt, Mahesh Bhatt said, “My daughter Shaheen, Alia’s elder sister, she, at the age of 16 discovered finally that she is suffering from clinical depression. In October, she is launching her own memoir in which she has talked about the kind of struggle she has gone through in that phase.

“She also came to a point of attempting a suicide at the age of 12-13 so, this is the truth of my own house. Jiah Khan once came to us asking for work but that time somehow, we were not able to work with her, but later when she committed suicide and we visited her house it felt really bad.”

Talking about immense pressure of surviving in the film industry, Bhatt said, “It’s a high stress business that’s why not many can do it and that’s why you have people who are prone to substance abuse, mood swings and you have tendency to gravitate towards depression because you are dependent continuously on audience reaction.

“When we release the trailer of a film, we fear that whether audience will clap or not for the trailer and for that, you need to have guts to sustain in this industry and that’s why there are very few people who have survived in this industry for long time.”

 

[IANS]

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